This invention relates to electronic components having lead terminals and more particularly to such electronic components having their lead terminals coated with an insulating resin material.
There are many kinds of prior art electronic components coated with a material such as resin for insulation and protection from the environment. In particular, electronic components having lead terminals coated for electrical insulation have been known. Some of such components had both the main body (or the main electronic element) and the lead terminals covered with a resin material principally comprising a silicone rubber resin, while some were produced by inserting an insulating tube around each lead terminal. Components of the kind having both the main electronic element and the lead terminals covered from outside are superior from the points of view of resistance against environment and mechanical strength but their coating film is easily peeled off if an external bending or scratching force is applied to a lead terminal. Those of the kind with tubes inserted around the lead terminals, on the other hand, are cumbersome to produce because of the extra manufacturing step required for inserting these tubes. In addition, gaps are easily formed between the externally coated main electronic element and the insulating tubes, exposing the lead terminals at these gaps. This means that the insulation is not reliably established.